For Being Perfect
by Stuff'nStuff
Summary: Marco KNOWS something has been bugging Ace, his lover of a little over a month now. It's scaring him. He doesn't know what's wrong and he fears Ace may want to end it, but Ace refuses to talk to him about it. Ace is upset, Marco's worried, and NOBODY's getting ANY sleep until it's figured out. (angsty fluff, MarcoxAce, same universe as Rhapsody on a Windy Night.)


(A/N: So here's just a little one-shot for my friend Kyyhkynen. For those of you who don't know, she's the artist for the blog . com. It's a FANTASTIC blog and all of you should go there and rejoice in the beauty, humor, and perfection of her art.

Yes I know I'm terrible and should be updating Bleeding Out, but this was calling to me, so I did it first, m'kay?

This is set about a month after Rhapsody on a Windy Night chap 2, so Marco and Ace have been together now for a little while, but not super long yet. So it's before Bleeding Out. Yeah. Have fun!)

* * *

Ace sighed. He couldn't sleep. His mind just…refused to calm down enough to let him get any decent rest. That was why, at 3:24 in the morning, he was standing out on deck, staring at the fairly distant mass of the island off their bow. They'd be arriving at about 10 o'clock, according to what navigation had said yesterday. But that didn't matter. It didn't effect Ace and his current bout of insomnia.

It wasn't that he wasn't tired. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was nearly dead on his feet. He just couldn't sleep.

It always happened whenever he was worried.

And it all revolved around one issue. The one issue that had been plaguing him for some time now.

Marco.

They were together, but Ace still…wondered. Yeah, he and Marco had kissed a month ago, and since then they'd shared other gestures of affection, but there was still one issue bugging Ace. He tried to pass it off as nothing, tried to say it was meaningless, but it still nagged at him, making him restless, making him wonder if maybe he was making a huge mistake or had made one somewhere along the line.

In the whole time that they'd been together, Marco had never said 'I love you.'

He'd tried to rationalize that it was nothing, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd misjudged something along the way, if maybe, just maybe…

…maybe Marco didn't feel the same way.

Ace was a mess of emotional distress and sleep deprivation, and he knew Marco and Thatch, at least, had noticed. Marco had always been able to read him well, and Thatch's _job_ was to pick up on details. He knew they were worried about him, but he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to confront Marco about it, but no matter what, whenever he resolved to talk about it, he always lost his nerve at the last second. Ace sighed. This really sucked.

* * *

They landed a bit later than expected, some time between 1 and 2 PM, but there were still a good 5 hours of daylight left. Ace had, since about 4 AM that morning, planned on going ashore for a walk to try to get his mind off of everything. He thought maybe a little distance and some fresh sights would distract him enough that maybe, just maybe, he could actually get some sleep that night.

He walked down the gangplank, taking a deep breath as he made it to the docks. It'd been a while since their last landing, almost 3 weeks. Everyone had been feeling cooped up, and it seemed that many had the same idea as Ace. Already he saw people he recognized among the townsfolk, heading towards the market district or looking for a bar. Ace took a moment and thought about his own destination, but decided it didn't matter. He'd just…walk. Wherever he ended up, he could always ask for directions to get back.

The island was fairly large. It was volcanic, and as the soil was thus very rich, it was no surprise that it was well known for its vineyards. The back slopes of the island were covered in carefully cultivated grapevines, the nearly black soil standing out between the shining green leaves. Ace was no botanist or farmer, but he could tell that these plants and fields were thriving.

He'd been walking for a good two-and-a-half hours. The first two hours had taken him down randomly selected streets in the town, but eventually he found himself beyond it. The town had been interesting and he'd liked exploring the back alleys and cobbled streets, but his feet had decided on a different destination and he wasn't complaining.

It was truly picturesque. The architecture was almost Italian, but the humidity and local fashion, highlighted by bright colors and floral ornamentation, lent the place a Columbian air. Vegetation was lush, flowering shrubs and bushes lining the worn path Ace walked. Further up the volcano, where the vineyards stopped, a tropical forest splayed itself in every shade of green the eye could absorb.

If one were to turn their eye westward (Ace was, at this point, on the western side of the island), the water shone like azurite over the grey-black sand, and the sun freckled over the waves, kicking up stars on the ruffled expanse. Ace soon found himself mesmerized by those winking lights, and his footsteps automatically drew him nearer.

* * *

He'd been fairly high up the slopes of the vineyards, so it took him a good hour to hike down to the shore. By the time he got there, the sun was fairy low in the sky, already staining the horizon with pastel orange. For a long while, he just stood there, staring. The sky began fading to deeper hues, pastel orange shading to fire, and Ace took off his shoes, feeling the warm sand under his feet. He walked forward the few paces to the water, letting the cool liquid lap at him. He walked forward until it reached his ankles, clear and wonderful. It was beautiful. The sky, the water, the coarse, warm sand under his feet. It was beautiful.

But it still wasn't enough to entirely remove Ace's worries from his mind.

"There you are! I've been wondering where you wandered off to." _Huh. Speak of the devil and he shall appear._ Marco's voice wasn't enough to draw Ace's gaze away from the setting sun, but when he drew near Ace finally dragged his eyes away. "How long have you been here?"

Ace didn't respond immediately, instead taking a moment to study Marco. Beneath the small smile on his face, Ace could tell he was worried. Another look at his eyes showed he'd been losing sleep too. Ace felt guilty. Either way this issue went with Marco, it was still his fault Marco was upset. Maybe…Maybe he should just get it over with. If this was going to happen, it'd only be worse to drag it out.

Marco watched Ace as he waited for a response. He was used to Ace's habits of zoning out, and knew he usually took a few moments to respond after being called back to reality. Recently it'd been even worse than usual.

Though he didn't voice it and tried not to show it in his expression, Marco was worried.

Ace had been acting…different for the last week or so. But not different in a way that could just be brushed off or disregarded. He'd been…almost distant. It was freaking Marco the _hell_ out. He knew Ace hadn't been sleeping and that something had been deeply bothering him, but Ace wouldn't talk to him about it. There were times when he'd seemed like he was going to, but then he'd either change the subject or drop it as nothing. Marco could tell Ace was unhappy, and he thought it could only mean one thing.

Ace was going to end it.

He felt his heart clench at the very idea.

Marco had been alone for almost his entire life. He'd have fleeting relationships, but they always were severed by time, distance, or just…loss of feeling. Even in those relationships, though, Marco had never felt as natural as, even as ridiculous as it sounded, _meant to be_ as he did with Ace. But…Ace seemed to be…well, not feeling the same way. Marco desperately wanted this to work, wanted to be with Ace, wanted them to be happy, but…he couldn't maintain this on his own. If this was a one-sided relationship neither of them would be happy. Marco knew it. But still. He didn't want it to end. The happiness, the belonging, the _love_ that Ace offered him…Marco wanted it, _needed _it. Didn't know what he'd do without it if he was forced to be alone again.

Now, after being with him, Ace was as vital to Marco as breathing.

"Marco…I need to talk to you about something." Ace said. Marco felt his anxiety surge. _No. Don't let this be it. Please. I'll do anything. Anything you want of me, you can have it. Please. I need you._

Ace stared down at his feet. "…Does it bother you?" he asked, nearly inaudible. Marco blinked, and cocked his head slightly. The shallow water lapped at their ankles, the waves sloshing gently onto the sand, the sunset staining the water every shade of purple, red, and orange the mind could conjure. Ace looked up at Marco. Marco's face showed his confusion, and Ace continued before he could speak, looking away again. "…You know. That I'm…male." Marco blinked, shock literally freezing his thought process.

"Ace-" Marco started, but Ace spoke before he could continue the thought.

"I just…I don't want you to feel like, for any reason at all, you owe this to me. I love you, yes, but just because of that doesn't mean you need to do this. I don't want to force you into anything, Marco. I don't want to make you unhappy…" Ace said. He opened his mouth to continue, then paused, unsure of how exactly to voice his concern. After a brief moment he spoke again. "It's just…I feel like I'm somehow taking advantage of you. Like that you liked me as a friend and are just too kind to turn me away. I never saw you with any men before me, and I don't want you to change who you are because you don't want to hurt my feelings. That's the last thing I want, Marco. I _love_ you. I want you to be happy. If that means that our relationship should just be as friends, that's fine. I-"

"That's what you've been worried about? What's been bugging you for the past week?" Marco asked. Ace, still unwilling to meet Marco's gaze, nodded. Marco shook his head, laughing. Ace looked at him, bewildered.

"What?"

"You're the most dense, block-headed-"

"Hey!" Ace interrupted.

"-oblivious idiot on the whole Grand Line." Marco concluded. A smile pulled on his mouth. "But I guess that's why I love you." Ace's head snapped up at the words. The last three echoed in his head, and he felt all the tension and worry and hurt of the last week melt away, replaced by shock and, after a moment, near-bursting joy.

"Marco-"

Before he could continue, Marco grabbed his torso and tossed him into the water, out where it was a little deeper. Ace, taken by surprise, fell into the knee-deep water, flailing. He sat up a moment later, spluttering, water lapping at his chest.

"What was that for?" Ace snapped.

"_That_ was for being an idiot and getting me worried about nothing." Marco responded evenly. Ace pouted and Marco laughed at his expression, the almost childish outrage on Ace's face, hair streaming saltwater.

"Think that's funny?" Ace snarled. Marco's eyes widened and he tried to hoof it to the waterline, but Ace was too quick. He grabbed his wrist, and combining his bodyweight with exertion, dragged Marco into the water beside him. Marco came splashing down equally gracefully, the somewhat cold water going completely over his head before he was able to right himself.

He pushed himself into a sitting position in the water, wiping the salt out of his eyes with a hand. He glared at Ace. "Don't you _dare_ start this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into-"

He was cut off as Ace splashed him full in the face. Marco spat out the salty water that'd entered his mouth and, with a ferocious battle cry, leapt at Ace, submerging the both of them again. Ace squirmed out of his grip and pulled away, fighting to his feet and kicking water at his face before trying to retreat to the beach. Marco wasn't about to let him get off that easily, though, nor was he going to let him have the last 'blow' in their scuffle. He launched himself after Ace and grabbed both his legs, Ace's momentum carrying him to face-plant in the water.

When they finally emerged, the sun was well below the horizon. They were laughing, spattered with sand and hair sticky with salt. They fell back on the sand, Ace lying just beside Marco, and fought to steady their breathing.

Ace stared up at the sky. It had only taken a few minutes for his breathing to return to normal, and he could hear Marco's beside him was equally calm, but he had no desire to move. The night air was cool against his skin and a gentle breeze blew. A few wispy clouds marred the black sky with their dark greys, but the heavens glittered with starlight. The moon still hung young and low in the sky, its pale light reflecting off the equanimity of the sea. The sand glowed dull silver under their combined light.

Ace didn't think when he gently intertwined his fingers with Marco's, only felt. And it felt right.

He could feel a smile on his face, but didn't remember an expression ever feeling so natural. He was happy. Not his usual energetic joy, just happy. And it was warm. Full. Alive.

After several minutes of just the silence of their breathing mirrored by the gently sighing waves, Ace sat up. He turned to Marco, face serious. Marco stared up at him, eyebrow raised in silent question.

Ace slapped him.

Marco stared at him, flabbergasted, abused cheek smarting. "What was that for?" he asked, bewildered. Ace glared at him.

"_That_ was for calling me an idiot and throwing me in the water. I hope you feel rightly ashamed of yourself." After a moment's silence where Ace glared down at him seriously, a smile, the same one as before, returned to his face and his eyes softened. He leaned down and placed a tender, simple kiss on Marco's mouth. He drew back without a word and lay back down in the sand. Marco blinked, speechless and confused.

"…And what was that for?" he finally asked after a few moments of his dumbfounded silence. Ace smiled and let his eyes drift softly closed, the words of Marco's first 'I love you' echoing in his mind.

"For being perfect."

* * *

(A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnndddd now you're all dying from clotted arteries from all that cheese. YAY.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot! After I finish Bleeding Out I plan on writing a whole collection of them, all written on prompts from, you guessed it, YOU GUYS! So start brainstorming now, people!

Sorry I went a little crazy with the description of the island. It was just really fun to write. :) Sorry if poeticish descriptions aren't really your thing…

So yeah. I'll go back to writing Bleeding Out now. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I KNOW I SHOULD BE WRITING IT! But this idea just swallowed my brain and it wouldn't let me think about anything else until I wrote it so yeah. You got a one shot.

Kudos again to Kyyhkynen for the idea/prompt, and she'll hopefully be drawing some art for it some time this weekend. When it does get uploaded, I'll be sure to add a link here, so look forward to that! See y'all later!

Stuff'nStuff)


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